Elevated track.



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APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20. 1905.

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. rails together at the joint.

WILLIAM A. LAW, OF S'I. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

ELEVATED TRACK- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 1906.

Application filed. November 20, 1905. Serial No. 288,159.

To all whom it muy concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. LAW, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Paul, Ramsey county, State of Minnesota, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Elevated Tracks, of which theollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to elevated tracks such as are usually employed inconnection with hay-carriers for supporting the carriage or car.

The object of my invention is to provide a track of simple constructionand one which will be strong and durable and which cannot rack or twistat the joints.

My invention consists generally in an improved coupling device forlocking the sections of track together at the joints and preventinglateral and longitudinal movement thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a perspective view of an elevated track-joint ernbodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side view with one of the track-rails brokenaway, showing the construction of the coupling. Fig. 3 is a plan view.Fig. 4 is a detail view of the bottom plate of the coupling. Fig. 5 is atransverse sectional view on the line y y of Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 is aperspective view showing the locking means provided between thetrack-rails and the lower coupling-plate.

In the drawings, 2 2 and 8 3 represent the track-sections, composed,preferably, of angle-bar iron of suitable dimensions. The abutting endsof the track-sections are secured together by a coupling device, which Iwill describe in detail.

4 is the bottom plate, having a longitudinal u wardly-projeetin web 5,and 6 is the top p ate, having a simi ar depending web 7, the contiguousedges of said webs being toothed to allow them to interlock and preventlongitudinal movement of the plates when the coupling is clamped on .thetrack. The webs lie between the vertical flanges of the track-rails whenthe coupling is put in place and serve to hold these flanges apart.Squareshanked carriage-bolts 8 are provided to connect the plates andpermit them to be drawn snu ly against the top and bottom of the trac-rails and bind the abutting ends of the The upper plate 6 is preferablyprovided with longitudinal grooves 9 in ,its lower face to receive theupper edges of the vertical ilanges of the track-rails and prevent therails from spreading. (See Fig. 5.) The lower plate has square holes 10to receive the squared shanks of the bolts and prevent them from turningand facilitate the adjustment of the coupling on thej oint. The squareshanks of the bolts serve as abutments against which the inner faces ofthe rails bear when the coupling is clamped on the joint. The use of thecarriage-bolt insures a broad bearing-surface for the track-rails, andin some instances the webs provided on the upper and lower plates may beomitted, the flat surfaces of the bolt-Shanks forming a sufficientbearing for the rails and holding them apart. The heads of the bolts areoval, as shown, and iit linto recesses 8, provided in astrengthening-rib 8 on the lower plate. At the ends of this rib inclinedsurfaces 9 are provided, which prevent the hay-carrier from striking theheads of the bolts.

To prevent longitudinal movement of the rails in the coupling, Iproviderecesses 11 1n each rail, preferably at the angle formed by theintersection ofthe vertical and horizontal ilanges, and lugs l2 areformed on the lower plate 4 to enter these recesses and lock the railsand the Vcoupling-plates against relative longitudinal movement. Atsuitable intervals between the joints of the track crossrivets may beprovided connecting the rails. These, however, form no part of mypresent invention, and I have not thought it necessar'y to illustratethem in this case, as they are entirely independent of the couplingdevice. A coupling of this kind will be comparatively inexpensive tomanufacture, can be easily applied when the track is set up, and willbind the track-sections securely at the joints and positively preventlateral or longitudinal movement of the rails at. that point.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination with the angle-bartrack-rails, of a coupling comprising an upper and a lower plate andmeans securing them together, and said upper plate having longitudinalgrooves to receive the upper edges of the vertical flanges of said railsand prevent them from spreading, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the angle-bar track-rails having recesses in theangle formed by the intersection of the horizontal and vertical flanges,of a coupling comprising a lower plate having lugs to enter said re- IOCIIO

cesses, and means for clamping said plate to the bottom of said rails,substantially as described.

3. The combination with the angle-bar 5 track-rails having recessesformed at the intersecton of their horizontal and vertical ilanges, anda coupling comprising a lower plate having lugs to enter said recesses,and an upper plate to rest upon the vertical r o flanges of said rails,and bolts connecting said upper and lower plates.

4. The combination with the track-rails having recesses formed therein,of4 a coupling comprising a lower plate having lugs to enter saidrecesses, an upper plate and bolts connecting said upper and lowerplates and binding them securely together, substantially as described.

yIn witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day ofNovember, 1905.

WILLIAM A. LAW. Witnesses:

RICHARD PAUL, C. MAONAMARA.

